Around Christmas time, I was gifted a 52-week photo challenge book. It has a theme for each week and offers a space to write out the technical info about the photo, along with a few notes. It has become a really cool challenge that forces me out each week and has me exiting my comfort zone to get some of these pieces done.
Not all of the shots are going to be award-winning, that’s not the point in my mind. It’s about challenging yourself to sometimes get out of your regular photo work and try something different. It forces you to look at the world differently, as you’re trying to identify the theme and see if the world will comply with the request.
I added in 1 extra piece to this: it has to be shot that week. You can’t carry over, and you can’t skip it. If you’re sick or in hospital (this will come into play later), you have to figure it out.
I figured since I got the book in late December, I’d start on the first full week of January. Which meant the first 4 challenges were:
Week 1 - Shadow
Week 2 - Family
Week 3 - Window light
Week 4 - Blue hour
Shadow:
I wouldn’t say I knew instantly what I wanted to shoot for this. I was thinking hard shadows and doing major contrast between light and darkness, but it wasn’t vibing with me quite right. I tried at one point. There’s a trail behind my work that lots of people walk. One winter day, as the sun was out and the sky was clear, I went for a walk along the path. It was, however, completely snowed over and heavily compacted by the people who walk that trail normally. There were a few lousy shots I got as I tried to force the theme into the space, but nothing that inspired me.
On Friday of that week, I was heading down to my regular Dungeons and Dragons game that I play in when I walked past a noodle shop. And that’s where I saw the inspiration. The windows were steamed over from the inside, and silhouettes of people were all you could see. It felt much more natural.
The next day, I headed back out, and while passing a restaurant on Queen Street near University, I saw a woman standing at the cash. With the yellow light outlining her and the glass offering reflections from the street, I felt like I had my shot.
Family:
This theme timed perfectly with a family event. My grandmother’s birthday was this week, and we were going to have a small family gathering to celebrate. Perfect opportunity to get these photos. Unfortunately, life had other plans.
My grandmother hadn’t been in good health for a while, and this week things turned for the worse. My brother and I got a call from our father letting us know the care home’s doctor didn’t think she’d have much longer. We bolted down and spent a few hours with her. It was the last conversation we’d have with her. A few days later, we came back, and by that point, she was already gone. Not her body, that held on for another day or so, but she never regained consciousness. She passed the day after that visit.
This was the last photo I took with her. It’s cliché, but clichés work for a reason.
Window light:
I was down in Niagara for the funeral and shiva for part of this week, and wasn’t really focused on the challenge. When I got back I was staring at the words “window light” and trying desperately to figure out what that meant in any meaningful way.
Saturday night of that week I drove around downtown Toronto trying desperately to figure out something. I stopped by a church and took a few photos there, but it wasn’t really hitting me. I was looking for something that set off the right feeling.
I eventually ended up around John and Adelaide. Looking at these giant buildings, it made sense here. I could see all the different colours coming from different apartments as people stayed in on the cold winter night. Different colours, different lives, different plans that evening, all in one place.
I’ll be honest, I’m still not 100% sure I nailed this one. It’s how you interpret the challenge for sure, but I still question if this is what they had in mind.
Blue hour:
For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s the time before sunrise and after sunset. Most people are familiar with “golden hour”, but blue hour brings a whole other feel. And it’s a challenge because of how limited it can be.
But thankfully, I didn’t have to go too far. Living close to the waterfront, I knew I had the perfect place to shoot; I just needed to get up in time.
Blue hour after sunset can be nice, but it can also be crowded. I, as much as possible, want to avoid crowds and people. I want to get out and shoot when it can be silent and I can truly feel the space. So, early in the morning I woke up and walked out into the cold winter air as the breeze came off the lake. It’s not pleasant, but it was quiet.
No one was out on the boardwalks. No one was by the art sculptures. It was just me, the camera, the sky, and the frozen snow that crunched loudly as I tried to find my shots. I could have sworn I’d wake someone as my cracked an ice layer that echoed past the apartment buildings. But no one came out to yell at me, so crunching away I went.
To me, the morning blue hour is all about the possibilities of the day. So, whatever I was going to shoot had to have that feeling.
That was January. It was a great way to start what has taken up an aspect of every week this year.
Next month: Leading lines, clouds, love, and black and white.